Pott's disease x ray
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Aravind Kuchkuntla, M.B.B.S[2]
Overview
Plain radiograph is the initial investigation to look for the presence of bony and intervertebral disc abnormalities.
X Ray
Plain radiographs of the spine demonstrate changes suggestive of spinal tuberculosis in majority of the patients. The radiographic changes on plain X-Rays are not evident in the early stages of infection, therefore the changes are present in the late stages of the disease. Findings on the plain radiograph include:[1][2]
- Rarefaction of the vertebral end plates
- Lytic destruction of anterior portion of vertebral body
- Collapse of the vertebral body
- Loss of disc height
- Osseous destruction with osteolytic lesions
- New-bone formation
- Soft-tissue abscess appear as fusiform paravertebral shadows : Increase in the prevertebral space in the cervical spine suggests retropharyngeal abscess, lumbar spine abscess appear as paravertebral soft tissue shadows.
- Presence of calcification in the abscess is highy suggestive of tuberculosis infection.
References
- ↑ Zhang H, Lu Z (2016). “Atypical imaging of spinal tuberculosis: a case report and review of literature”. Pan Afr Med J. 24: 101. doi:10.11604/pamj.2016.24.101.9701. PMC 5012831. PMID 27642440.
- ↑ Rauf F, Chaudhry UR, Atif M, ur Rahaman M (2015). “Spinal tuberculosis: Our experience and a review of imaging methods”. Neuroradiol J. 28 (5): 498–503. doi:10.1177/1971400915609874. PMC 4757228. PMID 26450101.
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